All the Stars in a Darkened Sky
by Moonglade
Summary: This is the story of an Elder's long life which she tells to a young kit. You can watch the clan gradually change over time, as seen through her eyes. There may, however, be a secret from the past that concerns the kit.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first ever fan fiction and I am very excited (and nervous) about it! All the characters are original and not based off of anyone else's. However, if I accidentally reused any names (from the books or somewhere else) just let me know in the comments and I will gladly change them. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Allegiances (present day):**

 **Leader:** Pinestar - orange tabby tom

 **Deputy:** Darkclaw - white tom with black feet

 **Medicine Cat:** Pineshadow - dark tortoiseshell tom with golden eyes

 **Warriors:**

Needlewhisker - gray tabby she-cat

Lizardstripe - cream colored tom with a dark brown stripe down his back

Swallowtail - cream colored tom with brown ears

Robinwing - russet she-cat with a cream underbelly

Sprucefur - light gray tom with black feet

Ravenwing - dark gray/almost-black tom with a notch in one ear

Willowbreeze - silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Browntail - brown she-cat

Snowfall - white tom with thick, bushy tail

Graynose - gray tom

Shadowchaser - tom with mottled black and gray fur

Duskfeather - copper colored tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice: Toadpaw

Dawncloud - cream colored she-cat with a white muzzle and feet

Apprentice: Risingpaw

Snaketail - light brown tom with a very thin and long tail and black markings

Mapleleaf - dark tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

 **Apprentices:**

Toadpaw - brown and cream tom (apprenticed to Duskfeather)

Risingpaw - gold and black tom (apprenticed to Dawncloud)

 **Queens:**

Leaftail - calico she-cat

Shortfern - tortoiseshell she-cat (mostly orange fur) (Moonkit - pure black she-cat with shiny fur, Dapplekit - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, and Frogkit - brown tabby tom)

Mate: Pinestar

Leafpine - white she-cat with a black spot over one eye (Stormkit - light gray tabby tom and Eveningkit - black tom with white chest and underbelly)

Mate: Shadowchaser

 **Elders:**

Chestnutfur - rust colored tom

Nightflower - pure black she-cat with shiny fur

Eagleheart - cream tom with dark brown streaks, lost the use of a leg and ear due to injury

 **Allegiances (Nightflower's kithood):**

 **Leader:** Sparrowstar - brown she-cat with white spots

 **Deputy:** Owlgaze - mottled brown tom

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Birchbark - light silver tom with thick fur

Apprentice: Willowbranch

 **Warriors:**

Mousetail - dark gray tom with a thin and short tail

Apprentice: Spottedpaw

Lightningstrike - dark gray tom with an orange stripe down his back

Iceflame - red she-cat with a white chest and stomach

Duststorm - pale brown tom with one black paw

Beesting - cream and gray she-cat

Longwhiskers - white tom with extremely long whiskers, currently sick

Lilyheart - pretty calico she-cat

Snowfoot - black she-cat with one white foot

Bluesky - light gray she-cat with fluffy fur and blue eyes

Apprentice: Yarrowpaw

Sunfire - yellow tabby tom with amber eyes

Chestnutfur - rust colored tom

Badgerpelt - light gray tabby tom

 **Apprentices:**

Willowbranch - calico she-cat with green eyes (medicine cat apprentice)

Spottedpaw - cream colored tom with black spots (apprenticed to Mousetail)

Yarrowpaw - dark cream colored she-cat with one brown ear and one brown foot (apprenticed to Bluesky)

 **Queens:**

Moonblossom - black she-cat with one silvery-gray ear (Nightkit - pure black she-cat with shiny fur and Daykit - cream tabby she-cat with green eyes)

Mate: Duststorm

Brightthistle - cream tabby she-cat (Burrkit - gray and brown tom and Pinekit - dark tortoiseshell tom with golden eyes)

Mate: Chestnutfur

 **Elders:**

Oakwhisker - dark brown tabby tom

Sweetfur - calico she-cat that is blind in one eye

 **And... the story begins!**

"Come now, darlings," Shortfern mewed softly to her kits, "Stormkit and Eveningkit need to rest now." She twitched her tail towards the two younger kits, who were lying in a heap at their mother's side. "Why don't you go and play outside the nursery for a little while?"

"But that's boring!" Frogkit protested.

"There really isn't anything to do out there," Dapplekit added, defending her brother.

"The warriors don't like having us underfoot," Moonkit explained. She paused for a moment, "We DO tend to get in the way of things."

"Hmmm," Shortfern murmured, "That IS a good point." She thought for a moment, "Say, why don't you go and ask one of the elders to tell you a story?"

"That's a great idea!" Dapplekit grinned, "Come on guys, lets go!"

"Yeah!" Frogkit mewed, "Nightflower and Chestnutfur always have a good story for us."

"But not Eagleheart," Moonkit sighed as she followed her siblings out of the nursery, "He's _always_ grouchy."

"It's because he had to retire early," Frogkit explained importantly, "I heard he was injured in a battle!"

"Yeah," Moonkit rolled her eyes, "And it turned him into a real sourpuss."

Dapplekit was getting into this, "Yeah a real -" she stopped suddenly, her wide eyes focused on the former warrior who had come up behind them. "A... really great cat," she finished lamely.  
"Is that me you're talking about?" Eagleheart's eyes twinkled mischievously, "I never realized I was so wonderful."

"We're sorry," Moonkit lowered her head in shame, "We didn't mean it."

"But you _are_ grouchy," Frogkit pointed out.

"Am I?" He seemed distracted, "Huh. Well, you better go over by Nightflower, she has some story she's been dying to tell you. And," he called after them as they scurried away, "You'd do well to show a little respect for your clanmates next time!"

The kits tumbled into the cool shade of the elders' den, one after the other, relieved to have made such a narrow escape.

"Nightflower! Nightflower!" they called out eagerly, "You'll tell us a story, won't you?"

"Yeah," Frogkit mewed, "Eagleheart said you had a good one for us!"

"Oh, that I do!" Nightflower grinned, "Why, would you believe that," she paused suddenly, gazing intently at Moonkit, who was hiding in the shadows. "Moonkit," her voice was gentle, "Come forward a little, would you? A little more…. And there we are, right in that nice patch of sunlight!" Nightflower paused, peering closely at the kit. "Such nice black fur," she muttered. Nightflower began speaking softly to the kits, "I've only ever seen two other cats with that fur. It's mine you know, and my mother's. I was rather disappointed really when it didn't show up in either of my kits, and now here it is popping up in one of my far-off descendants!"

"Wait, we're kin?" Dapplekit was confused. "I mean, I knew that Leafpine was Shortfern's sister, but you're like WAY older than both of them," she paused, "Wait, you're not their mother, are you? Shortfern never mentioned her mother. Her father's Lizardstripe though…"

"No," Nightflower laughed, "I'm not their mother, but if you like, I have a different story I could tell you. One that would explain Moonkit's pelt."

"Ooooh! Tell us!" Moonkit begged, "Please!"

"All right," Nightflower sighed, "It really began with another Moonkit who had the same shiny fur that this one does," she smiled at Moonkit, "But I didn't know her until she was much older, and had her Warrior name, Moonblossom, so we'll start there, with a different black-furred kit. Nightkit."


	2. Chapter 2

_Nightkit curled up against her mother while her more rambunctious sister bounced around, trying to catch Moonblossom's tail._

" _Settle down, Daykit!" their mother mewed, frustrated with the little bundle of energy._

" _But I wanna DO something!" the little kit yowled as she sprang frantically about._

" _I know something you can do," Nightkit grouched, "You can lie down quietly and go to sleep."_

" _But that's BORING," Daykit rolled her eyes, "Besides, you_ know _what I meant."_

" _Come now, Daykit, you really must rest, dearie," Moonblossom sighed, "How about I tell you a story? Will you lay down quietly then?"_

" _Fine," Daykit relented. "Can it be the one about the Great Battle between Tigerclan and Lionclan?" She asked, regaining some of her former enthusiasm,"Because that one's my_ favorite _you know."_

 _Moonblossom twitched her tail, "I think your sister will choose today's story, as a reward for her good behavior," she turned to Nightkit, "Which story would_ you _like to hear?"_

 _Nightkit paused thoughtfully, "I think I would like to hear the one about our names," she said at last._

" _One of my favorites," Moonblossom gave Nightkit an affectionate lick over her ears. "Now, when you were first born, your father and I looked at you and saw two beautiful kits, one with a pelt as pale as the very first of the Sun's rays, the other the same dark and shimmery black of a moonless night. And indeed that is what we said to each other," she laughed slightly, "In fact, I remember, very clearly, your father exclaiming, 'Why they're as different as night and day!'"_

" _And just as night and day are as different as can be, each is also perfect in the way it is," Duststorm finished as he padded into the nursery. "And," he gave his kits a love-filled look, "That is indeed what we saw in each of you - unique perfection."_

" _I love you, Daykit," Nightkit whispered, "But I'm not sure I'd consider you perfection."_

" _That's because I'm not," Daykit grinned, "_ You're _perfection. I'm_ unique _! "_

" _That you are," Nightkit teased._

 _Daykit laughed and then paused for a moment, "Did you say you loved me?"_

" _Yeah," Nightkit mewed warily, "You're my sister. Of course I love you."_

" _Awww," Daykit purred, rubbing against her sister, "I love you too, Nightkit." She smiled softly, "You're the best sister I've_ ever _had."_

 _Nightkit swatted her ear affectionately, "I'm the only sister you've ever had, mouse-brain!" Daykit leaped on her and the two began wrestling with each other._

" _So much for lying down quietly," Moonblossom dryly observed, as the kits tumbled about on the floor._

" _Eh, they'll sleep when they're tired," Duststorm shrugged, "That's just how kits are. I wouldn't worry so much about it. You know - " his last words were cut off by a sudden commotion outside the nursery._

 _Duststorm stood in the entrance, trying to make sense of what he saw; chaos._

 _Cats were running about in a panic or gathering in groups to converse in hushed tones. As a whole they seemed to be heading to the center of camp and Nightkit, poking her head out of the nursery's entrance, caught snippets of conversation._

" _What do you think it means?"_

" _...load of nonsense I say..."_

" _Mouse-brained fools! It's obvious, isn't it?"_

" _Don't talk like that!"_

" _...doomed, we're simply doomed, that's it!"_

" _...wish he'd explained it better…"_

" _If it's for real…"_

" _He wouldn't lie."_

" _...could be the end of it."_

" _Or the beginning"_

" _Vague as usual."_

 _And one very high-pitched squeak that came from Burrkit, who had been outside playing with his father and brother. "What's happening, Chestnutfur? I'm scared."_

 _Duststorm couldn't take it much longer, "What's going on out here!?" he bellowed. His powerful, deep voice resonated throughout the camp, easily heard over all the ruckus, but only one cat paused to explain._

" _Birchbark's had a vision," Bluesky's voice was carefully neutral as she spoke to her sister. "I didn't hear exactly what is was about."_

 _Her apprentice, Yarrowpaw, was glowering. "We were out training and missed it," she complained. "The one actually interesting thing that happened in possibly my whole life and I missed it."_

" _Well, I guess we'll just have to go and see what he has to say about it," Moonblossom announced in a way that said there would be no argument. "It's no use sitting here and just talking about it, after all." And with that she strode purposely off, leaving the others to trail behind her._

Nightflower yawned loudly, "It sure is getting late," she mewed, "You kits better head back to the nursery. Shortfern will be worried that you've been gone so long."

"Aww," Frogkit grumbled, "Already? You didn't even tell us what Birchbark's vision was!"

"Could you tell us maybe - just before we leave?" Dapplekit wheedled, "Please!"

"I'll tell you what," Nightflower mewed, "I'll tell you some more of the story if you come back tomorrow, but," she gave them a look, "You can't exactly come back if you don't leave first."

"Alright, we'll go," Moonkit nodded politely to Nightflower, "Thank you for telling us the story!"

After Moonkit had herded her siblings out of the elder's den, Nightflower was left alone with her thoughts. And just then, she had an awful lot of them, because there was a reason she had stopped the story just there. Something she had long remembered had just fell into place. It was a big something - an important something. It was something that might require the attention of the clan leader and medicine cat and who knew who else. It was something she decided to keep to herself. So, she sat there, an old cat alone with her many thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just a warning in advance - this chapter is** ** _very_** **short. There will be a longer one in a few days though. Thank you for the encouraging reviews from Maz and Mistyflame of Darkclan! They are very much appreciated.**

As it happened, the three kits _didn't_ see Nightflower the next day. They were tumbling over each other to get to the fresh-kill pile as the hunting patrol returned, when Pinestar called a clan meeting in order to perform a naming ceremony for two very different apprentices.

Toadpaw and Risingpaw were surrounded by their mentors and parents. Dawncloud and Robinwing hovered over Risingpaw, who frantically tried to dodge his mother's licks. Meanwhile, Sprucefur and Duskfeather sat by Toadpaw, giving him last minute advice and encouragement.

"All cats gather to hear my words!" Pinsestar bellowed. "Risingpaw! Toadpaw! You have learned well the ways of the Warrior Code. Now come forth before your clanmates, those here, and those in Starclan, and receive your Warrior names!"

Toadpaw walked proudly forward and stood before Pinestar, "I vow to live every moment by the sacred Warrior Code and to put my clan and the cats within it before all else, before my very life."

"Then," Pinestar dipped his head, "You have truly earned your Warrior name. You are Toadpaw no longer. Let it be known that from this moment onward, until eternity finds its end, you will be known as Toadtail!"

"Toadtail! Toadtail!" his clanmates cheered as he proudly strode off to join them.

As the cheers died down, Risingpaw nervously padded forward, his head respectfully bowed, "I vow to honor the Warrior Code with my every breath of life and to use every ounce of strength and wisdom that Starclan bestows upon me to contribute to the well-being of my clan."

"Then you are no longer an Apprentice, but a Warrior of the truest sort. The name of Risingpaw is no longer befitting of the cat you are," Pinestar paused, taking a deep breath before continuing in a loud yowl, "May Starclan and and all those before me hear my words. The cat who stands before you will forevermore be known as Risingsun, for just as the sun rises each and every day, so has he risen to every task set before him."

"Risingsun! Risingsun! Risingsun!" the clan yowled.

Moonkit joined in proudly with her siblings. She liked Risingsun. He was a kind and thoughtful cat and had never belittled her or her siblings, despite being older, stronger, and more knowledgeable. His brother was another story. Even now, she could hear Needlewhisker muttering complaints about "That arrogant lump of fur."

Over by the elders, Eagleheart was complaining too, "Now there won't be any apprentices for another half moon!" He glared at Moonkit and her siblings, as if willing them to be older.

"I'm sure we'll manage," Chestnutfur was ever cheerful.

"I think you'll live," Nightflower rolled her eyes as she strode past them both.

A half moon! Moonkit could hardly believe it. Just another half moon until her and her siblings became Apprentices! After moons of waiting, it seemed so sudden, so soon - and yet impossibly far away at the same time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I am working on something though... Anyway, I just realized the italics were messed up, and when I went to fix them, I noticed something very important - I forgot to say thank you to my reviewers, followers, and favorite! I really appreciate all of them, so here you are - thank you so much to SilverstormandNyx32, HallyRose, Snootsnoot, Maz, and Crimsonapple of Marbleclan for the encouraging reviews, FlameSpirit, SilverstormandNyx32, and snootsnoot for the follows, snootsnoot for the favorite, and anyone and everyone who read this for reading it! Enjoy! (With hopefully a lot less confusion, now that the italics are fixed)**

"Oh, it's you three again, isn't it?" Nightflower greeted the three kits as they tumbled into the Elder's den the following day, "You've come to hear the rest of the story I suppose?"

Moonkit nodded shyly, "I'd really like to hear the ending."

"Well, we'll get to that soon enough, though I doubt we will finish it today. It's a rather long story," Nightflower laughed, before turning serious, "But first, let's talk a little about you. You'll be apprentices soon," she stayed carefully neutral, "That's a great deal of responsibility, you know. It's helpful to have an idea of what kind of cat you want to be."

She gauged their reactions. As she'd expected, Frogkit spoke up first. Though he'd come in pouting - he hadn't wanted to come - he grew excited now and his answer was enthusiastic. "I'm going to be the best Warrior in the whole clan!" he boasted. "I'll be brave and strong and -"

Though her real interest lay in Moonkit and her answer, she couldn't resist filling in the gaping hole the kit had missed. "And what about kind?" she asked. "Will you also be caring, honorable, and loyal?"

"Obviously," Frogkit replied, "I mean, that goes without saying."

Nightflower nodded, waving the issue aside, and turned to Dapplekit and Moonkit. "And what of you?" she demanded, "What kind of cats will you be?"

"I'll be like Frogkit said," Dapplekit mewed quietly, slightly subdued due to Nightflower's response, "And what you said too - I'll be honorable and loyal and kind."

Nightflower nodded distractedly, her gaze already on the scrap of black fur that was huddled in the shadows, after all, it was her answer that would matter most, "Moonkit?"

The tiny kit shrank back fearfully. "Umm…. The same as them," she mumbled, her voice so quiet it barely counted as even a whisper.

Nightflower was satisfied, however, and thoroughly relieved. There was no need now to worry, no need to tell the kit or anyone else. It didn't matter anymore. The prophecy would not come true. With this decided, she returned to her usual self.

"It's interesting," she noted, "That all three of you plan to be the best Warrior in the clan."

The kits sat in embarrassed silence, having realized their mistake.

"We could each be the best at something different," Dapplekit offered. "I could be good at…," she thought for a moment, "...hunting, and Frogkit could be good at fighting and Moonkit…" she trailed off, at a loss for ideas, "She could be good at…uh, something." Dapplekit groaned, "You get my point."

Moonkit gave her sister a hurt look and shrank into the shadows, her cheerful mood thoroughly ruined. She was good at plenty of things! She could jump higher than either of them and she was the fastest too - no cat had ever caught her. On top of that, she had an amazing memory. By the end of their first day outside the nursery, she knew all of her clanmates' names and personalities. She had memorized the Warrior Code after Duststorm had told the kits about it - just once! So, what if Frogkit was already an amazing fighter and Dapplekit was more enthusiastic - more likable? Surely there was more to being a Warrior than that! Her talents were valuable too - weren't they?

No one else seemed to care. They had long since moved on, easily accepting Dapplekit's lack of ideas as, well, understandable! Frogkit was begging Nightflower to continue the story, bouncing about the place as though he had springs in his paws. Dapplekit sat nearby, joining in with only a bit less bouncing. It was like it never even happened. Shocked, she watched their interactions without becoming a part of them. Shrinking into the shadows, where she nearly disappeared, just two green eyes peering out of the darkness, observing the scene without comprehension or connection, as though from miles distant.

Nightflower was talking now, telling more of the story. She'd skipped over the prophecy, saying something about it being "...a load of nonsense that never came true anyway and certainly doesn't deserve retelling." Somewhere in the time Moonkit had stopped listening, a moon had passed, and now, as she began paying attention again, Nightkit was leading her sister through the darkened forest, their path lit only by a sliver of moonlight.

" _Okay, this was not a good idea," Daykit hissed. "I don't know how you always get me mixed up in these things!"_

 _"Aww, come on!" Nightkit grumbled, "This'll show that high and mighty Burrkit once and for all! Don't you want to see the look on his face when we show him the scent marker? That'll teach him not to act like he's so much better than us just because he's a few moons older! Why I'll bet he's never so much as been outside the camp, let alone in another clan's territory!"_

 _The morning replayed in Nightkit's mind._

 _Her sister's sweet and hopeful mew; "Do you want to play moss ball with us? It's so much more fun with more than two players!"_

 _Burrkit's swift and stern reply; "We're almost apprentices. We don't have time to play!" How he'd lifted his nose and strutted away, "Come on Pinekit, we have better things to do than hang out with these little kits."_

 _The way Daykit's excitement disappeared so completely, so quickly replaced with disappointment._

 _Pinekit's eyes as he turned away, filled with an unspoken apology, his mouth, half open, wanting to say something, but not knowing what._

 _Now, here she was, stumbling through the undergrowth with her sister whining behind her. She was starting to think that Daykit was right. This wasn't any cat's definition of a good idea. Still, the need to prove herself persisted and she kept walking toward the Riverclan border, one stubborn pawstep at a time._

 _She was startled out of her thoughts when she stumbled upon what appeared to be a river of some sort. The surface of the river was not made of flowing water though - it consisted of some kind of mysterious substance which was hard and black and stung her nostrils. A Thunderpath. That's what Oakwhisker had called the black rivers in his stories. It was also what Moonblossom had warned them of when Daykit had begged to go outside the camp. "There are Thunderpaths out there," she had cautioned, "Thunderpaths and their Monsters! Monsters who are just waiting to gobble up some foolish little kit who strays too close." She remembered her mother's descriptions well. Monsters were huge beasts, she had been told. Their pelts shone in unnaturally bright colors. Their eyes glowed. Their paws were large and black and round and had crushed many a cat who dared to cross in front of them._

 _Yet the Thunderpath that stood before her was dark and silent. Lifeless. If you ignored the scent, there really wasn't anything scary about it. And the Riverclan border was just on the other side!_

 _Daykit was already edging away, "I know what you're thinking, Nightkit," she began, "And I think you should know that I am NOT crossing that - and you shouldn't either!"_

 _"Too late!" her sister yowled as she sprang triumphantly across._

 _Daykit nervously kneaded the earth with her paws, shredding bits of grass as she watched Nightkit's crossing._

 _For her part, Nightkit wasn't worried in the least. Letting go of both her anxiety and euphoria, now that she was on the other side, she scanned her surroundings with a critical eye - and nose. The whole place reeked of the unfamiliar and fishy scent that she assumed was Riverclan's. Now she had only to find a particularly strong patch of it, so she could rip up a wad of grass and dirt to bring back for Burrkit to see. What would he think of her then! Still a just a little kit? She doubted it!_

 _Everything was going perfectly, even better than she'd thought it would - that is until she spotted the forms of three muscular cats coming to the top of the hill above her. Now their fishy scent washed over her in waves. She stood still, frozen in fear, her heart beating as loud as thunder._

 _It was Daykit's fearful squeal that finally spurred her into action and she turned tail to run, sprinting across the Thunderpath, not taking the time to be afraid - except that this time there was a monster chasing her. It loomed above the kit, catching her in its blinding gaze, even as it screeched to a halt, its strange black paws skidding across the Thunderpath's smooth surface._

 _She kept running and didn't look back, though she could hear the Riverclan warriors' far-off voices behind her._

 _"What was that?"_

 _"Sounded like a kit."_

 _"Smells like Shadowclan to me."_

 _"They never could figure out how to stay on their own side of the border! I say this is taking it too far. We'll make them pay this time!"_

 _"Right. Just barge into camp demanding justice over a kit that we didn't even get a good look at. We'd sound like lunatics, but if that's the impression you want them to have…"_

 _"So we just let it go?"_

 _"Is there anything else to do?"_

 _"We would have caught it if not for that stupid Monster coming in. The lucky thing - we can't even follow its scent trail what with that awful smell all over the place."_

 _"Yes, it just reeks of Monster. Doesn't it?"_

 _"I'm so sorry your sensitive noses can't handle such an unpleasant odor. Why a true Warrior…"_

 _"There he goes again."_

 _"Anyone who heard him would think he was just perfect."_

"So… that was it?" Frogkit sounded doubtful. "You just ran over to Riverclan and ran back and what? The Warriors who saw you didn't bring this up at the Gathering? Their clan leader didn't say something to Pinestar?"

"Well," Nightflower laughed, "To start with, they couldn't have told Pinestar because he wasn't born yet at the time!" she sighed, "Sparrowstar was Clan leader then. And," she paused, "I'm guessing that the Warriors never told anycat, because they were embarrassed to have let a kit of all things, a kit get away from them. But," she sighed again, "That's not quite the end of the story. There were some complications."

 _Nightkit gradually slowed her pace until she came to a stop beneath a large pine._

 _"Where are we?" Daykit pulled up beside her. "We're not lost are we? Please tell me we're not lost! Because kits who get lost, they..."_

 _"Calm down for Starclan's sake!" Nightkit roared. "WE ARE NOT LOST, okay? Now be quiet so I can figure out where we are." She paused, sniffing the air, observing her surroundings, reaching deep into her memories. Finally, she took a deep breath to steady herself and set off determinedly. "Follow me," she called back to her sister, who was already regaining some of her usual cheerfulness._

 _"I'm so happy we're through with this whole thing! I told you it was a bad idea from the start. I think I was right on that one - I mean you were almost crushed by a Monster! BUT," she took a deep breath, "That's all over with now and we're all okay and alive! Isn't it just wonderful to be alive? And to know that everything is going to be okay. That's right, okay. Moonblossom will be waiting for us and…"_

 _"Just stop it already!" Nightkit hated to snap at her sister, but she was really getting on her nerves with all that babbling. It didn't help that she was in a sour mood herself. After all, her plan had backfired in a stupendous fashion. Not only had she lost the grass, she had become lost herself, and now they were going to be caught and would be punished and get a lecture and her sister would suffer through it all the same as her even though it wasn't really her fault at all and - couldn't she just BE QUIET for a few minutes!?_

 _When they finally reached the camp - after a very tedious journey - they found the place in an uproar. Burrkit and Pinekit were helping Apprentices Spottedpaw and Yarrowpaw search the camp. the elders were sitting, unconcerned, and telling of all the times this had happened before and how the "missing" kit was usually just curled up in some odd corner. Owlgaze was organizing patrols of very anxious looking cats. Sparrowstar, she guessed, was already out looking for them with their parents._

 _Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and strode into the center of camp. Everycat turned to look at her and started talking at once._

 _Bluesky rushed forward, "Oh my! You're all right! Oh you darling little kits, what your mother would have done if…" she stopped herself and turned to her Apprentice, "Yarrowpaw, go and fetch Moonblossom, would you? And yes, of course the rest of the patrol too! It wouldn't make much sense to leave them out there, would it? Honestly!" she shook her head, then turned back to Nightkit and her sister, "Are you sure you're alright? You'd better get Willowbranch to check on you - just to be sure. Why not Birchbark? Why not indeed! Did you hear that load of nonsense prophecy he delivered? That cat is not of sound mind, believe me!" And with that she hurried them over to the medicine cat apprentice._

"So," Frogkit was in a questioning mood again, "What happened when your mother came back? She didn't ask you what you were doing out there? Because let me tell you, if we tried that… Well, Shortfern would drag it out of us!"

"No, she asked, trust me, she asked, but we told her this story… Said we'd just wanted a peek outside and had fallen asleep in some bushes that went around the border of the camp. For some reason, she bought it! Though I'm not sure why, honestly." She laughed a little, "I know Sparrowstar was suspicious of us for moons! She knew something was up."

"But what about the prophecy? You said you'd tell us more about it!" Moonkit was glad Dapplekit had brought it up. She'd been wanting to know, but asking, drawing attention to herself, wasn't her kind of… style? At least it sounded better than admitting outright that she was probably the shyest cat in the whole Clan.

"Yeah, you promised." Frogkit would have argued anything, just for the sake of it.

"I promised you nothing, kits," Nightflower yawned. "Now, that was a long story and telling it has tired me out. Why don't you run along for a bit so I can rest?"

Moonkit nodded as respectively as before as led her littermates out of the den, but, secretly, she was itching to find out more about Birchbark's mysterious prophecy. She wasn't even quite sure why it intrigued her so much. All she knew was that she had to know what it was.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hi! Sorry it's been so long! Life has been kind of busy. Anyway, here's a short little chapter while I continue to work on a longer one._** _  
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 __ ** _Moonkit's Dream_** _  
"So you want to know about the prophecy? Hmm?" A voice, indulgent and vaguely amused, rang clearly in Moonkit's ears. "Go on then, little one, open your eyes." The voice faded away into nothingness and, after a moment, Moonkit slowly lifted her eyelids._

 _She was in a moonlit clearing and all about her were silvery cats made of glittering stars. Though they carried with them the scent of the Clans, she did not recognize a single one. A muscular tom with piercing yellow eyes stepped forward to speak to her, "We have news we would like to share with you. Acornfur has read great trouble in the stars and we have agreed to give you his prophecy," the tom nodded and stepped closer, "I believe in you as I always have, but there are some that are not as convinced of your capability. You would do well to prove them wrong."_

 _Confused, Moonkit opened her jaws to ask what in the world was going on, but instead, her tongue spoke of its own accord words that were entirely different. "Do not worry, Stonestar, I will not disappoint you."_

 _Even her voice was different! Deeper, calmer, more mature and confident. What in the name of Starclan was going on? Starclan! That was it! She must be in Starclan! But that didn't explain the rest of it. Thoughtfully, she lowered her head as the scene began to fade away. The tom's words blurred together along with her vision. The last thing she saw before it was all gone was so mundane it was almost funny; her fluffy gray paws lying in the moonlit grass. And that was the image that would become fixed in her memory, would haunt her mind throughout the day. Such a simple thing; gray paws on silver grass._


End file.
